regulation

UK opportunities and how to redefine compliance

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

Learn how Trade Associations can help shape and enforce standards for all interactive businesses across the value chain.

Global Carrier Billing & Mobile Payments Summit panel session discussing the value of compliance in your business framework

aimm are glad to announce that Joanna Cox is part of the speaker line-up of the MEF Global Carrier Billing & Mobile Payments Summit, hosted by Mobile Ecosystem Forum. The Summit is taking place in Amsterdam on 9th and 10th of September.

Joanna will be speaking on two separate expert panels on the 10th, so pop over for a listen if you are coming. Get your ticket today and join us.

*aimm members can still secure their 10% member discounts on tickets so reach out to the aimm team for more details.

 

10:10 Redefining Compliance: From Reactive Policing to Proactive Design

  • Dario Betti, CEO – MEF
  • Frank van Rotterdam, Regulator – Mobile Payments in the Netherlands
  • Joanna Cox, General Manager – Association for Interactive Media and Micropayments (AIMM)
  • Pierre Trocme, Program Director – af2m
  • Wim de Meyer, Managing Director – Etis
  • David Ashman, Head of Compliance – MCP

With regulatory expectations rising and markets becoming more fragmented, compliance is no longer a back-office function — it’s a strategic pillar of product design. This session explores how mobile operators, content providers, aggregators, and platforms are embedding user protection, consent, and transparency into the mobile payment journey from the outset.

The conversation will also include the growing role of self-regulatory bodies and industry associations in shaping and enforcing standards. From codes of conduct to complaint handling frameworks, these groups are helping to create shared accountability models that reduce friction, build trust, and enable responsible growth across diverse markets.

 

14:25 2025 UPDATE – Unlocking New Horizons: Exploring UK Opportunities with the Arrival of a New Regulator

  • Joanna Cox , General Manager – Association for Interactive Media and Micropayments, (AIMM)
  • Victoria Hull, Business Development Director – Dynamic Mobile Billing
  • Naomi Maggs, Senior Product Manager – EE 

This session will explore how recent regulatory changes have created a clearer, more stable framework for carrier billing in the UK. Panellists will discuss what has changed in the past year, the impact of a stronger regulator, and why the new regime is easier to navigate. The session will also provide practical guidance on entering the UK market, including available support, onboarding processes, and why this is now a prime time for new services to launch in a predictable, business-friendly environment.

aimm panel session at Global Carrier Billing & Mobile Payments Summit 2025 discussing UK opportunities with arrival of new regulator.

Find out more and get your tickets

AIMM & MCP INSIGHT collaborate to help industry improve their Google Ads marketing

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

 

aimm and MCP Insight logos overlaid on background with keyboard for the release of the Google Ads Best Practice Document.

28th January 2025

aimm the specialist UK trade association for the interactive media industry are pleased to announce the release of their Google Responsive Display Ads Best Practice Guidance to help businesses not only prosper but stay compliant while they are doing it.

The guidance provides broad principles as a foundation to understanding better ad design for Google Responsive Design Ads (RDA) and to improve compliance with approved industry standards.

Google RDAs is big business, so getting it right is important. Reaching a larger audience and optimising your conversions and boosting click through rates is the goal for any business wanting to advertise. Which is why so many businesses are now turning to RDA’s to do just that.

Google Responsive Display Ads (RDAs) offer advertisers significant benefits by automating the ad creation process, enabling ads to adjust in size, format, and layout to fit various placements across the Google Display Network.

However, this flexibility can create issues when key information or contextual elements, aligned with regulator and MNO codes, are omitted or not displayed in a sufficiently prominent manner. These kinds of issues can lead to consumer confusion, increasing the likelihood of consumer complaints and potentially result in regulatory action.

Industry Guidance

That’s why aimm has created their Best Practice Guide, that came from their new Google Ads Working Group. The Google Ads Working Group formed by aimm and co-chaired by MCP Insight, is for its members to understand the correct requirements, and mitigate any increase in regulatory interest from the incorrect use of Google Responsive Display Ads (RDA).

By following this guidance, Advertisers, including those entering the market for the first time, can help ensure compliance with industry standards. Therefore reducing the risk of regulatory intervention, and protect the long-term sustainability of this advertising channel as a viable and trusted marketing tool.

Joanna Cox, General Manager of aimm said: “aimm’s remit is to work with its members to negotiate the regulatory environment in which they operate. We’re delighted to publish this document, in conjunction with MCP Insight, which is a perfect example of member collaboration, where Merchants across Industry, have come together to proactively create agreed best practices for the good of the consumer and the longevity of the market.”

Some of the topics covered in the paper include key recommendations for ad design, how Google RDAs work, Google Ad policies and examples of advertising flows, as well as an overview of the regulatory requirements for this area to help guide businesses about the best choices available.

The aimm Google RDAs Best Practice guidance is a live document which will continue to be updated as Google polices, and regulatory requirements are renewed to ensure it is a valuable resource for industry for the foreseeable future.

Kev Dawson – Director at MCP Insight added: “MCP are delighted to have worked closely with aimm and its members to gather considered views to enable the publication of this best practice document for Google RDAs. At MCP Insight, we see first-hand how important responsible advertising is – not just for protecting consumers, but also for ensuring a fair, trusted and sustainable market for everyone. This collaborative effort is a great step towards helping businesses navigate the complexities of advertising compliance, while maintaining growth alongside positive consumer experiences.”

Our Google Responsive Display Ads Best Practice Guidance is currently available to aimm members.

To learn more about becoming an aimm Member please visit our information page: https://aimm.co/benefit-table/

Did you catch aimm’s Panel session today?

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

 

This morning at the Carrier Billing & Mobile Payments Summit, Joanna Cox of aimm Chaired a panel to discuss: UK Regulation: Are you Ready for the Biggest Change in a Decade? We were be joined by David Ashman of MCP Insights Ltd, Victoria Hull, from Dynamic Mobile Billing, Peter Garside of EE and Léon Dijksman from Sam Media.

This session delved into the new regulatory model that is on the horizon in the UK. With Ofcom in the process of transitioning into regulatory power over the mobile and interactive media space, this will create change across the regulatory landscape for our industry.

aimm has been working hard to not only advise and guide members about this change with workshops, but regularly liaise with both the regulators about this transition. This knowledge sharing allows for the opportunity for growth in this market to continue while maximising consumer protection.

With updates from Ofcom expected in the next couple of months; aimm is gearing up for the next round of member meetings to share our knowledge and best practice, so that all our members can enter this next regulatory phase compliant.

During the Panel session the team also discussed best practice for effective Responsive Display Ad Marketing. This is a hot topic right now for many businesses, and the focus for one of our new Working Groups at aimm.

If you are not yet a member of aimm, and want to find out more about what is required to be compliant, as well as find new opportunities for growth, get in touch about membership and joining our mailing list for our updates.

Ofcom give update on the release of their consultation

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

The Future of PRS Regulation, Ofcom Consultation Update

Ofcom logo

Industry had been expecting the release for the Future of PRS Regulation Ofcom Consultation, over the next few days. However, aimm has had an update from Ofcom stating that they have had to push this date back to early November, as they iron out the final details.

aimm has a series of Consultation workshops for our members in the diaries, to provide an opportunity for an exchange of views and feedback during the consultation period (which is expected to be 8 weeks).

As we look to reschedule these for the later release date there may be the opportunity for non-members to book a seat at one of our virtual online workshops, so others across industry have the chance to add their voice alongside that of the membership.

aimm will be submitting an official response to the consultation, as we do with all regulatory consultations, and the feedback we receive from across the industry value chain during these workshops helps to shape this document.

Having a seat at one of our workshops is a valuable opportunity to have your voice heard on such a pivotal regulatory milestone. If anyone is interested in finding out more about these workshops please get in contact with aimm.

 

The PSA is extending the implementation period

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

Following publication of the PSA’s Statement on introducing new Special conditions for all subscription services, and the new Special conditions for Recurring Donation services, the PSA held an implementation workshop for industry members working in the charity space to raise any implementation-specific queries, ahead of the regulatory changes coming into force on 1 November 2019.

At the workshop it was identified that some charity print and broadcast advertisements that have already been produced for upcoming campaigns may not be compliant with the updated Special conditions for Recurring Donation services.

Following consideration of this issue, the PSA is extending the implementation date for Special conditions RDS6(d) and RDS7(c) for specific providers, which will now come into force on 6 January 2020. The PSA considers that this will enable those providing recurring donation services who intend to use the two-stage Mobile Originating Short Message Service to obtain consumer consent to charge, sufficient time to make the necessary changes to their television and print advertisements to ensure compliance with the new Special conditions. This represents an approximately nine-week extension to the previous implementation date of 1 November 2019.

Full details can be found from PSA